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who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:06 am
by NDBUD84
some names that come to mind are phil hanson, darrin erstad, jeff bosche, jim kliennsasser, phil jackson, travis hafner, ben jacobson.......

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:47 am
by baseball
Maris...had a legit record until steroids broke it.
Erstad...World Series Champion
Jackson...HOF player, and an above average coach.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:20 pm
by north_border_eagles2106
Phil Jackson is a HOF coach.

Maris has the record in my opinion. The Record is still 61....

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:29 pm
by bruins44
baseball wrote:Maris...had a legit record until steroids broke it.
Erstad...World Series Champion
Jackson...HOF player, and an above average coach.


Phil Jackson was not a HOF player in the NBA, maybe at UND or Divison 2
I think Rick Helling should be on the list, he won a world championship with the Florida Marlins,
Chris Coste, world champion this past year with the Phillies

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:53 am
by north_border_eagles2106
Rick Helling had some nice years in the majors and did throw a no-hitter. Chris Coste is good but he didn't make it to the majors until his 30's. Not knocking him by any means but as far as "career" goes I don't know about that.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:05 pm
by 32Districts
Dave Osborn from Cando has to be on this list. Was #2 in rushing in the NFL one year, played in a Pro Bowl and played in some Super Bowls for the Vikings.

Although not a sport talked about here much, rodeo's Brad Germundson from I forget now, out in western North Dakota, won some world titles in saddle bronc riding back in the 80's.

Valley City High School had a heckuva basketball player pre-Jeff Boschee. Kami Anderson played at Stanford for four seasons for the Lady Cardinal in the mid to late 80's. They made two tourney appearances during her years there making it to the Elite 8 one season I think. She finished her career in the top 20 in scoring for Stanford.

One guy maybe might be mentioned in the future (if not now) Dale Lennon, former football coach of the UND Sioux. It wouldn't surprise me seeing him standing on the sidelines of some major college one day.

Steve Cichy, played on some of those great Shanley football teams in the 1970's. Went on to play some DB at Notre Dame in the late 70's, starting at least one if not two seasons there.

Those are a few people that come to mind that had some success in sports after high school.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:28 pm
by duke_boy90
Don't forget about Pete Retzlaff. He was an all-pro tight end for the Eagles. Won an NFL championship before there was the super bowl and I believe he is the Eagles all-time leader in receptions.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:03 pm
by jtdc492
Virgil Hill-3 time WORLD champion

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:44 pm
by Flip
duke_boy90 wrote:Don't forget about Pete Retzlaff. He was an all-pro tight end for the Eagles. Won an NFL championship before there was the super bowl and I believe he is the Eagles all-time leader in receptions.

From Wikipedia: Retzlaff, nicknamed "Pistol Pete" and "The Baron", played football at Ellendale High School in Ellendale, North Dakota and starred in track and field and football at South Dakota State College. In 1952, he rushed for 1,016 yards.

He was selected in the 1953 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League but did not make the team. After two years in the army, he was sold to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played at running back, wide receiver, and tight end for eleven seasons. In 1958, despite never having caught a pass in college, he led the NFL with 56 pass receptions. He went to the Pro Bowl five times, and won the Bert Bell Award for NFL player of the year in 1965, when he caught 66 passes including 10 touchdowns. He also served as president of the NFL Players Association.

From 1969 to 1972, he served as the Eagles' vice president and general manager.

Retzlaff's number 44 jersey has been retired by the Eagles.

I had never even heard of this guy before. Very impressive if you ask me.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:12 am
by ndlionsfan
I agree, I have never heard of him before and that's a shame. Someone with a career like that from ND should be glorified right up there with Roger Maris and the likes.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 10:08 pm
by duke_boy90
ndlionsfan wrote:I agree, I have never heard of him before and that's a shame. Someone with a career like that from ND should be glorified right up there with Roger Maris and the likes.


It's kind of funny how good he was, and no one really remembers him.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 9:50 am
by lockdown
hafner was one of the most feared hitters in the majors for a couple years before his injury problems started

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:12 am
by Run4Fun2009
Football - Phil Hansen
Baseball - Roger Maris
Basketball - Phil Jackson

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:49 pm
by mplsfan
Wow, nice list of accomplished North Dakotans. I know of all of these people but I'd never put all the names together at one time. It's a good size list for a little state. Add Cliff Cushman, Lute Olson (no I'm not a GF Central alum), Dale Brown. Will we someday be talking about Laura Roesler in a post like this?

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 12:01 am
by 4thegame
it's between Phil and Virgil.....I would have to give it to Virgil because it really was him against "the world." and he won

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 1:02 pm
by winner-within
If Virgil would have beaten Hearns he coulda sealed the Deal when it comes to more recognition, he was in his prime and Hearns was washed up and Hill still lost. He was in a funky weight class and couldn't get the big fights....far from my favorite Boxer but good for ND.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 8:26 pm
by gobison#6
north_border_eagles2106 wrote:Rick Helling had some nice years in the majors and did throw a no-hitter. Chris Coste is good but he didn't make it to the majors until his 30's. Not knocking him by any means but as far as "career" goes I don't know about that.

Pretty sure Helling never threw a no hitter. Did have a couple great years though.

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:00 am
by AlwaysAMidget...
Robert Eaglestaff - Basketball - Fort Yates High School Warriors - 1968-1971
BYU
UND - Hall of Fame

Robert Eaglestaff, 1952-1996, was a strong Native American leader/educator, at the time of his death finishing work on a doctorate.

Eaglestaff's civil rights career still speaks with power to many of us from the dominate culture. Those of us that recall the Class A teams from the Standing Rock Reservation in late sixties/early seventies still remember... Robert Eaglestaff schooled us all, and still is...

Re: who had the best career in any sport after highschool

PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:36 pm
by Old Baller
I think you have to consider Cliff Cushman in this discussion, not from longevity but from the heights he achieved after high school. National champion in the 400 meter hurdles at Kansas University in 1960 and silver medalist in the same event in the '60 Olympics in Rome. THE OLYMPICS! However, his life was tragically cut short when his plane was shot down over North Vietnam in 1966. His body was never recovered.